Marie, Queen of France Leczinska

Marie Leszczyńska was Queen consort of France as the wife of Louis XV and one of the most active musical figures at the court of Versailles during the first half of the eighteenth century. Born in Breslau in 1703, she was the daughter of King Stanisław I of Poland and Catherine Opalińska, and her marriage to the French monarch was celebrated in 1725.

At court she cultivated music and the arts, and encouraged her daughters to follow the same path. She played several instruments, including the harpsichord and the vielle, and also sang. According to the Duke of Luynes, she took part in chamber music evenings alongside Farinelli and other celebrated musicians. In 1735 she established the Concerts de la Reine, which were given twice a week at Marly and Versailles and featured operas recently premiered in Paris, as well as works from the Concert Spirituel.

After 1745, with the arrival of Madame de Pompadour at court, the queen's interest in formal musical entertainments declined, although from time to time she received child prodigies, among them the young Mozart, on New Year's Day 1764.

Her importance lies in her role as a patron and amateur within a court environment that was decisive for the musical life of France in her time, rather than in any compositional output of her own.